OSF DCE Administration Guide--Introduction

OSF DCE Administration Guide—Introduction
global namespace.
Administrative tools use the namespace to store information and to locate DCE services.
DCE services advertise their locations to the namespace. The namespace provides a
means of organizing DCE services into manageable groups.
1.5 The Filespace
Part of the cell namespace is the filespace, which consists of files and directories. These
can be physically stored on many different machines, but are available to users on every
machine, as long as those users have the proper authorization. You manage the filespace
in units called filesets, which are hierarchical groupings of related files. Although files
are distributed throughout the network, located on and managed by different servers,
users see a single filespace. DCE provides administrative tools to assist you in backing
up, moving, and replicating filesets.
1.6 Principals
A DCE principal is an identity that is authenticated by the Security Service. When you
log into your system, you use your principal name. Principals can be organized into
groups and into organizations that contain groups of principals. Information associated
with a principal includes information that is traditionally kept in UNIX group and
password files, such as the username, group ID, members of a group, and a user’s home
directory. By default, a principal is known within the bounds of a cell. By creating a
special account that indicates you trust another cell’s authentication service, you can
enable principals from other cells to participate securely within your cell.
1.7 Access Control Lists
An Access Control List (ACL) is an authorization mechanism that allows you to assign
permissions that control access to DCE objects. The following DCE objects are
protected by ACLs:
• Principals and groups of principals managed by the Security Service
• Files and file system directories managed by the DFS
• DTS servers
• CDS directories and entries
• CDS clients and servers, which have ACLs restricting the use of their management
operations (for example, creating a clearinghouse)
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